Nigeria-China Exchange Felicitations On National Day

By

-

October 1, 2022

President Muhammadu Buhari and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have exchanged pleasantries on the occasion of the two nations’ independence anniversary on October 1.

While Nigeria marks its 62nd anniversary, for China it’s the 73rd.

In his letter, congratulating the Chinese President on the anniversary, the Nigerian leader said relations between the two countries have achieved far-reaching and fruitful results on the basis of equity, mutual trust and mutual benefits, adding that Nigeria seeks to elevate the strategic partnership to a new level.

On his part, the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, said the Sino-Nigerian relations enjoy “sound momentum, with political mutual trust being enhanced, cooperation in various fields yielding fruitful results and coordination on international and regional affairs being closer.”

The full texts of the letters are as follows:

Xi Jinping

President of the People’s Republic of China

Your Excellency,

LETTER OF FELICITATIONS

I write on behalf of the Government and People of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to extend warm greetings and felicitations to the Chinese Government and People on the occasion of the 73rd anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

The bilateral ties between Nigeria and China have achieved far-reaching and fruitful results on the basis of equity, mutual trust and mutual benefits. We thank China for its support to us in various ways and ready to seek more collaborations with you, as well as to elevate the Strategic Partnership between our two countries to a new level.

I highly commend China’s accomplishments under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), to which President Xi Jinping doubles as General Secretary.

As the 20th National Congress of CPC will be held in October, I wish this historical Congress a great success, and also hope it will draw up blueprint for China’s future development.

While wishing you once again, happy celebrations, please accept Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest esteem and regards.

Yours Sincerely

Muhammadu Buhari

H.E. Muhammadu Buhari

President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Abuja

Your Excellency,

On the occasion of the 62nd anniversary of the independence of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I would like to, on behalf of the government and the people of China, and in my own name, extend to you and through you to the Nigerian government and people, the warmest congratulations and best wishes.

In recent years, the development of China-Nigeria relations enjoys sound momentum, with political mutual trust being enhanced, cooperation in various fields yielding fruitful results and coordination on international and regional affairs being closer. I highly value the development of China-Nigeria relations, and would like to join efforts with you to promote the Strategic Partnership between our two countries and the two peoples.

I wish the Federal Republic of Nigeria prosperity and its people happiness.

Xi Jinping

President of the People’s Republic of China.

Nigeria Celebrates 62nd Independence Anniversary

By

Henry Williams

-

October 1, 2022

0

Nigeria on Saturday celebrated her 62nd independence anniversary in a grand style at the popular Eagle Square, located within the three arms zone in the heart of the nation’s capital, Abuja.

Saturday’s event culminated a series of activities organised by the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, in commemoration of the country’s national day celebration.

President Muhammadu Buhari was the Special Guest of Honour and review officer for the parade that took place.

That was followed by the giving of three hearty cheers given to President Buhari by the military on parade and a rendition of the National Anthem signaled the end of the event.

The epoch making event officially started with the arrival of the number one citizen and chief celebrant at 09:00 GMT, who was ushered in by the back pipers and the presidential despatch riders, who made a spectacular display on motor bikes.

Soon after a rendition of the National Anthem, the President was invited by the parade commander, Lt. Col. Yusuf Hassan, inviting him to inspect the guards on parade.

This was then followed by a special display by men of the Nigerian Airforce, with airmen dropping right in the middle of the Eagle Square arena from a moving helicopter, alongside patrol dogs, depicting how they can rescue captives from danger.

As the occasion gradually came to an end, the ceremonial 21-gun salute, also known as the firing of artillery volleys followed suit, then came the signing of the anniversary register by the President, who presided over the event for the last time as his administration winds down towards May 2023.

Other dignitaries that graced the Independence Day anniversary were former Nigerian leader, Goodluck Jonathan, as well as Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, Service Chiefs and the Inspector General of Police among others.

Borno holds first Independence parade after 12 years

By

Henry Williams

-

October 1, 2022

2

Borno State government marked the 62nd Independence Anniversary of Nigeria on Saturday with a parade, the first in 12 years since the Boko Haram insurgency began.

Governor Babagana Zulum presided over the ceremony held at Ramat Square in Maiduguri.

He said the event was made possible by the return of relative peace in the state.

Zulum, who was represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Usman Kadafur, lauded the military and other security agencies for the uncommon successes recorded in various operations against the insurgents.

The governor said that the successes in the terror campaign enabled the state government to close all displaced persons’ camps in Maiduguri and Jere Local Government Areas.

ICAO, Qatar to partner Nigeria on aviation varsity

By

Henry Williams

-

October 1, 2022

0

The President of the International Civil Aviation Organisation Council, Salvatore Siacchitano, has restated the commitment of the organisation to partner with Nigeria in the establishment, provision of funding and faculty of the African Aviation and Aerospace University in Abuja.

According to a statement by the Special Assistant to the Minister of Aviation, James Odaudu, the ICAO President gave the assurance when Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika led the country’s delegation to the 41st General Assembly of the organisation to his office at the ICAO headquarters in Montreal, Canada.

According to him, ICAO would always be part of every effort geared towards addressing the manpower needs of member nations in order to service and manage the ever-expanding Aviation industry, adding that Nigeria’s decision to establish the university was a welcome development.

He said the University would represent a new channel for the training of professional managers for the industry, especially within the African region, being the first of its kind in the continent.

He, therefore, promised to personally visit the site for the University during the forthcoming ICAO Air negotiation event being hosted by Nigeria in December, adding that the visit will give him a clearer picture of the immediate needs and the level of participation of the organisation.

Aisha Buhari seeks forgiveness from Nigerians over husband’s mismanagement of economy

By

Henry Williams

-

October 1, 2022

0

As the Muhammadu Buhari regime nears its end, Nigeria’s first lady, Aisha Buhari has sought the forgiveness of citizens over her husband’s failure in progressing the nation’s economy having spent almost eight years in office.

Mrs Buhari made the prayer of forgiveness at a special Juma’at service and public lecture to celebrate the nation’s 62nd independence anniversary, held at the National Mosque Conference Hall in Abuja on Friday. The event was themed: ‘Shura: The Islamic Foundation of True Democracy’.

“Your Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, as you may be aware that this government is making its exit and perhaps witnessing the last anniversary of the regime, I ask Nigerians to pray for a successful election and transition programme,” urged Mrs Buhari.

“The regime might not have been a perfect one, but I want to seize this opportunity to seek forgiveness from the Ulamas and Nigerians in general. We all need to work together to achieve a better Nigeria,” she added.

The first lady acknowledged that the naira’s helpless fall in her husband’s tenure had subjected many citizens to untold hardship. The policies of Godwin Emefiele appointed by Mr Buhari to man the nation’s apex bank, Central Bank of Nigeria, had yet to positively impact the economy.

Russia withdraws troops after Ukraine encircles key city

By

Henry Williams

-

October 1, 2022

0

After being encircled by Ukrainian forces, Russia pulled troops out Saturday from an eastern Ukrainian city that it had been using as a front-line hub. It was the latest victory for the Ukrainian counteroffensive that has humiliated and angered the Kremlin.

Russia’s withdrawal from Lyman complicates its internationally vilified move to annex four regions of Ukraine and paves the way for Ukrainian troops to potentially push further into land that Moscow now illegally claims as its own.

The fighting comes at a pivotal moment in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war. Facing Ukrainian gains on the battlefield — which he frames as a U.S.-orchestrated effort to destroy Russia — Putin this week heightened his threats of nuclear force and used his most aggressive, anti-Western rhetoric to date.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have inflicted damage on Ukrainian forces in battling to hold onto Lyman, but said outnumbered Russian troops were withdrawn to more favorable positions. The Russian announcement came soon after Ukraine’s air force said it had moved into Lyman and the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff posted photos of a Ukrainian flag being hoisted on the town’s outskirts.

Dozens dead from Ian, one of strongest, costliest US storms

By

Henry Williams

-

October 1, 2022

0

Rescuers searched for survivors among the ruins of Florida’s flooded homes from Hurricane Ian while authorities in South Carolina began assessing damage from its strike there as the remnants of one of the strongest and costliest hurricanes to ever hit the U.S. continued to push north.

The powerful storm terrorized millions of people for most of the week, battering western Cuba before raking across Florida from the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean, where it mustered enough strength for a final assault on South Carolina. Now weakened to a post-tropical cyclone, Ian was expected to move across central North Carolina on Saturday morning then move into Virginia and New York.

At least 30 people were confirmed dead, including 27 people in Florida mostly from drowning but others from the storm’s tragic aftereffects. An elderly couple died after their oxygen machines shut off when they lost power, authorities said.

Gunfire erupts again in Burkina Faso day after 2nd coup

By

Henry Williams

-

October 1, 2022

0

Gunshots rang out Saturday in Burkina Faso’s capital amid signs of lingering tensions a day after a group of military officers overthrew the man who had seized power in a coup only nine months earlier.

Roads remained blocked off in Ouagadougou, where a helicopter could be heard flying overhead. An internal security analysis for the European Union seen by The Associated Press said there was “abnormal military movement” in the city.

As uncertainty prevailed Saturday, the international community condemned the ouster of Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who overthrew the country’s democratically elected president in January. The African Union and the West African region bloc known as ECOWAS sharply criticized the developments.

“ECOWAS finds this new power grab inappropriate at a time when progress has been made,” the bloc said, citing the recent agreement Damiba had made to return to constitutional order by July 2024.

Testing trouble adds to disorder in Uganda’s Ebola response

By

Henry Williams

-

October 1, 2022

0

The nurse wanted the toddler with a high fever transferred at once from a private clinic in Uganda to a public hospital even though the child tested positive for malaria amid an Ebola outbreak that has rattled health workers.

But the clinic’s owner wasn’t convinced as he examined the boy in his lap. The boy didn’t have Ebola, he concluded after looking for the tell-tale bloody signs of the virus, and then sent the patient and his thankful mother home after administering intravenous medication.

The incident underscores the pitfalls health workers face in their response to a new Ebola outbreak in central Uganda. Because some malaria symptoms are similar to those of the Sudan strain of Ebola now circulating in three districts, community-based clinics that are usually the first port of call for those seeking care can be ill-equipped to make the right decisions at the right time.

Best Yogurt To Lower Your Cholesterol According to Dietitians

By

Olasunbo Okoromi

-

September 30, 2022

0

Yogurt can be a part of your diet if you’re watching your cholesterol, but it depends on the types that you eat. If cholesterol management particularly lowering your cholesterol is your main concern, you need to make sure you select the right kind of yogurt before adding it to your shopping cart.

Although your body needs cholesterol to build healthy cells, if it’s too high, you may run an increased risk of heart disease and other health issues. Having high cholesterol means you’re more susceptible to the growth of fatty deposits in your blood vessels, which could lead to difficulty for blood flow through your arteries, according to the Mayo Clinic. If you’re at risk, you need to be careful about the types and quality of food you put into your body. Some might be more harmful, while others can actually benefit your health.

But what are the right kinds of yogurt to help you maintain and possibly lower your cholesterol? According to the Nutrition Twins Lyssie Lakatos, RDN, CDN, CFT, and Tammy Lakatos Shames, RDN, CDN, CFT, the best yogurt to help lower or regulate cholesterol levels are nonfat, probiotic-rich yogurts that are low in sugar and have higher protein.

Why is this yogurt better for cholesterol management?

“Although saturated fat has been a bit more controversial in recent years, and genetics may play a part, slashing saturated fat [in yogurt] is important when it comes to heart health. This is because when you get too much, it tends to raise ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol,” says the Nutrition Twins. “Also, it’s important that the yogurt is low in sugar because when you eat too much sugar, your liver makes more LDL cholesterol while lowering the amount of HD ‘good’ cholesterol in your body.”

The Nutrition Twins also claim that sugar increases inflammation, making cholesterol more dangerous. This is because it plays an essential role in atherosclerosis, or the hardening of the arteries that occurs as LDL cholesterol builds up.

When it comes to choosing the correct yogurt, the Nutrition Twins advise selecting those with low or very little saturated fat, as these are best for managing cholesterol in much of the population. However, they also note that it’s just as important to find yogurts with little to no added sugars. Greek yogurt and the Icelandic yogurt fits this bill well because many of them contain probiotics, don’t have saturated fats, are low in sugar, and are high in protein.

“For an individual who has a diet that is very low in saturated fat and that includes no added sugar, a yogurt that contains these components likely would not affect them negatively,” says the Nutrition Twins. “However, in our modern-day world, the majority of people don’t have diets like that.”

Paying attention to the probiotics as well as additives should also factor into selecting the best yogurt for your cholesterol.

“Good gut health plays a major role in overall cholesterol management,” explains the Nutrition Twins. “Gut bacteria, which are impacted and improved by probiotics, have a large impact on overall health. It also seems to regulate immune health and metabolic pathways, and a healthy balance of gut bacteria has been shown to reduce cholesterol in the blood in animals.”

They also claim that eating more fermented foods like yogurt can increase microbial diversity, which plays a critical role in overall gut health and healthy cholesterol levels.

What should you look out for on yogurt labels?

When deciding on what yogurt to pick with respect to the possible effects on your cholesterol, it’s important to look at the label. For instance, many yogurt brands contain helpful probiotics. And according to the Nutrition Twins, “Research has shown that certain probiotics can reduce both total cholesterol and ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol.”

While most yogurt ingredient lists may not break down the amount of each specific probiotic strain, they do typically note the types of probiotics within them.

“Lactobacillus tends to be best in general,” says the Nutrition Twins say. “Both Lactobacillus probiotics L. plantarum and L. reuteri have been found to be effective in reducing cholesterol levels.”

Also, any yogurt that is fat-free will not contain saturated fats capable of raising LDL levels, and has no or low amounts of sugar is ideal for managing cholesterol levels.

To also play it safe when choosing the best yogurt with consideration to your cholesterol levels, the Nutrition Twins suggest selecting nondairy options. “These are a safe bet if they don’t contain a lot of sugar.”